Brotherly Duty
by AliceJericho
Summary: James believes it's his duty as Albus' brother to help him get ready for a date. Albus disagrees. - One shot for Fire The Canon's Weasley Relationships Challenge.


_Author's Note: I was given JamesSirius+AlbusSeverus in _Fire the Canon's_ Weasley Relationships Challenge. This is the product._

_I do not own the Harry Potter Universe. I do, however, own Sunny Hallam and the various other random names you come across._

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_**Brotherly**_**_ Duty_  
****By AliceJericho**

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"Oi, bro, mum says dinner's ready."

James bursts through the door to his brother's room to see Albus bent over his desk, a large quill scratching away at a piece of parchment. Albus jumps slightly as the door hits the wall after being opened roughly.

"What?" he asks, moving his arm to cover up what he was writing. James dawdles further into the room, stepping over the various items of clothing, to peer over his brother's shoulder.

"You doing homework? It's summer holidays," James stands right behind Albus' chair, pushing it further into the desk to prevent escape. "You're such a nerd." He puts his hand onto the back of Albus' head and pushes it down slightly. "Come eat."

"It's not homework," Albus mutters under his breath, shaking out his hair. James, who had started walking back to the door, turns around.

"What is it then?" His interest peals. "A letter? It's not to Scorpius again, is it? Seriously, just come out of the closet already. No one's going to care." James reaches the door and begins to shut it when Albus speaks again.

"It's not to Scor," he grumbles before tacking on, "And I'm not gay."

James shuts the door, but has not exited the room. He takes a spot on Albus' bed – hearing the usual creaking sound as he does – and stares intently at his brother.

"It's a bird, then?" Albus spins around in his chair to see James reclining onto the bed. "I don't want you to say Courtney Zabini but I also do. She's the only attractive Slytherin in your year level."

"It's not a Slytherin, actually." Albus admits. James lifts his head up with a smirk.

"This leaves open a few options, actually." James strokes an invisible beard. "Assuming she's in your year level," Albus nods ever so slightly. "I don't think you'd be game enough to try for a Gryffindor. Is it one of the Macmillan twins? I've heard they're freaky in bed."

"Like, _together_?" Albus asks in disbelief, almost falling off his chair.

"I'm not sure about that, actually. From separate encounters, though, freaks." James nodded his head as he spoke. "Especially Naomi."

Albus couldn't help but stare at his brother in awe. James had graduated at the beginning of the summer – Albus had finished 6th year – and was somewhat of an idol to his younger brother. Albus would never admit it, but he sometimes wished he could be like James. He also then remembers that James gets through life by using his surname.

"It's Soleil," Albus says quickly to stop James from guessing anymore.

"Who?" James asks, somewhat uninterestedly, before sitting upright and swinging his legs of the side of the bed – ignoring the creak. "Sunny? The hot blonde one with the nice tits and great pins?"

"Don't talk about her like that. She's not a piece of meat," Albus says with a disgruntled sigh. He spins around to face his desk, and goes back to writing the letter. "Doesn't matter anyway. She's too good for me."

"Hey, hold up for just a minute!" James booms, getting to his feet and standing behind Albus. He spins the chair around hastily. "You're a _Potter_ no one is too good for a Potter. Got that?"

"James-" Albus starts to speak, ready to tell James that he's being a prat, but is cut off.

"No, Al. Listen to me. If she doesn't want to date you, she's not worth pining over. Girls come and go. They're like the Muggle trains. Miss one; another comes along in a few minutes." James was looking Albus dead in the eye, trying to get his seriousness across, but Albus was avoiding eye contact.

"I want Sunny." He asserts. "I don't want her to like me because I'm a Potter. I want her to like me because I'm Albus."

"You're also a Slytherin," James interjects, "So that kind of negates the whole Potter thing, anyway."

"You're a fucking idiot," Albus tells him seriously. "I'm seeing her tomorrow anyway. This letter is just me saying that I'll see her at the Leaky Cauldron." He regrets what he's said instantly as James jumps up into the air.

"Brilliant! You're going on a date! I'll help you get ready and I'll come along to supervise!" James pats his brother on the shoulder in a sign of congratulations. "Now," he points to his growling stomach, "Let's go eat before I die. And before mum kills us."

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At exactly seven o'clock the next morning, James bursts into Albus' room and throws back the curtains. The heinous sound of the metal rings on the metal bar is enough to wake Albus us. James' shouting just ensures it.

"Rise and shine, you lucky bastard!"

"Get stuffed, James." Albus groans, pulling the covers over his head to shield his eyes from the blinding sun.

"I've been thinking," James says, completely ignoring his brother's protests, "that because you've somehow convinced Soleil bloody Hallam – the hottest girl in your year – to go on a date with you… You seriously need my help."

"Why?" Albus asks, knowing full well that he should just continue to ignore James. Curiosity overcomes him.

"Because you're you, Al." James answered matter-of-factly.

Once Albus has finally risen from bed and James has thrown him in the shower, the latter begins to search through the chest of drawers. He pulls out clothes – shirts and trousers alike – and chucks them onto the bed with plans of organising an outfit.

"How do you know so much about Sunny?" Al asks, somewhat begrudgingly – the last thing he wants to know is if James and Sunny shagged.

"She's one of Ellie's best friends," James responds coolly. Ellie being James' ex-girlfriend, a Ravenclaw in Albus' year. They had only broken up because James had graduated and it would be difficult come the beginning of the new school year. Albus knew not to ask any more questions because it was still a soft spot for his brother.

There's a reason James had woken Albus up at seven – he knew it was going to take a long time to perfect the look. Giving up on Albus' clothes, James runs up to his room in search of a decent outfit.

Albus knows the minute he looks at it that it isn't right. Not in a million year would Albus wear anything in James' wardrobe, yet he's staring into a mirror wearing an entire outfit of nothing but.

"I look ridiculous," Albus sighs. "I can't go see Sunny like this."

"Of course you can! You look great! Besides, I've seen the looks that Sunny gives me, she loves this stuff." Albus is ready to hit his brother. The last thing he wants is for the idea of Sunny and James to be planted in his head.

When they're finally ready at half eleven, James stands Albus in front of the fireplace and massages his shoulders like he's about to start a fight.

"Now, you're a Potter so you're going to ace this. Nothing else matters." Albus rolls his eyes at the supposed words of encouragement. "I'm going to be sitting across the room okay, if you need help just shoot the signal – you remember the signal?" Albus shows James the apparent distress call. "Good. Just shoot the signal and I'll be to your rescuce."

Checking his pockets to make sure he has his wand and his glasses – which James insists he can't wear – Albus steps into the fireplace.

When he arrives at the Leaky Cauldron, he instantly spots Sunny. True to her name, she lights up the room.

"Hey, Sunny," Albus greets, walking over to her table.

"Oh Albus!" She says surprised, "I didn't recognise you!" He takes the seat opposite her and smiles across the table. "What on earth happened to your hair?" she brushes her fingers across a stray piece. "Did you get electrocuted?" he recognised the phrase as one she uses frequently – as a Muggle born she says a few things that confuse him – and simply looks down at the table. "Oh! No! I'm just saying it's different!"

"Stupid," he mutters under his breath, trying to flatten his hair down.

"You look a bit like James," Sunny tells him. Albus' eyes travel the room in search of James – ready to stare him down – but without his glasses it's hopeless.

"Thought I'd try something new," Albus states pathetically, still trying to flatten his hair. Through the many sounds in the Leaky Cauldron, he hears James' voice ordering a drink from across the room. He knows that his brother is sitting somewhere behind Sunny but he still cannot see him.

"Are you okay?" Sunny questions, puzzled. "You're squinting… Where are your glasses?" Albus shrugs. "I liked your glasses."

It takes no more than that for Albus to reach into his pocket and pull out his square framed glasses. His eyes focus and across the room, James is signing to take them off.

"At least I can see now, hey?" Albus asks in a pathetic attempt to joke around. He notices that Sunny is looking at him curiously and he knows that he's messed up. "James was trying to help. Doing his duties as a big brother – that's how he put it anyway. But I feel like a tosser. I look like a tosser." Albus tugs at the jacket James forced him to wear despite the scorching heat.

"You look a bit silly," Sunny agrees with a light laugh. "I like James' look." She said. Albus felt his heart clench. Another image of Sunny and James flashed through his mind, this time they're wrapped up in each other's arms on his family's couch. "On James. You're much better as yourself."

Albus, still listening to Sunny speak, glances at James. James is pulling all sorts of faces, ruffling his own hair and miming taking off glasses. He's not a Potter, not really. He's Albus. He wants to be known as Albus. James can try and milk the Potter name for all it's worth but that's why he's James. James and Albus are two different people with two different opinions. The only thing they can agree on is that Lily should not date Hyatt Jenkins.


End file.
